Politics

BJP took away J&K’s statehood against wishes of people: Rajni Patil

JAMMU — The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP of vitiating the atmosphere of peace and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir and downgrading its statehood status against the wishes of people.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir Rajni Patil said only the Congress can restore peace, harmony, progress and the lost status and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Centre had in 2019 revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into union territories.

“BJP has vitiated the atmosphere of peace, harmony and progress and downgraded the historical state against the wishes of people… Congress can only rebuild the lost trust, the genuine aspirations of each section and regions and can do justice with all and ensure equitable development by creating harmony and peace and strengthening democracy,” she told reporters here.

The Member of Parliament (MP) said the people were fed up with the BJP’s poor performance and opportunistic and wrong policies, and added there is a strong wave of change in favour of her party in Jammu.

She said the Congress is the only viable alternative to the BJP which has utterly failed on all fronts and snatched the statehood, dignity and rights, employment and trade of the people.

Addressing a gathering of Congress workers at Shakti Nagar, Patil that the power hungry BJP’s divisive and opportunistic politics has destroyed and vitiated the atmosphere of peace, harmony and progress and created unrest in society.

She advised the party leaders to recognise the hard work of grassroots workers who alone can take the Congress achievements and programmes to the people and bring the party back to power to serve the people.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president G A Mir pitched for the restoration of the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the statehood was snatched unilaterally, arbitrarily and undemocratically.

He said the ongoing delimitation exercise to redraw assembly constituencies is biased and has caused more injustice.

Mir said the BJP failed the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the sake of power but it will badly fail in its mission to grab power through unfair means.

AICC spokesperson Alka Lamba in his address accused the BJP of playing with the sentiments of people by downgrading the historical state and depriving them of democratic rights. — (PTI)